Augustus: The Sunday of Summer

What's up, people.

Our neighbors are getting aggressive with Waldo street shut down.

Well, August is wrapped up, and we're now back to The Grind. It was nice while it lasted.

August isn't my favorite month of the year, by a long shot. I start gearing up for the return to employment in, like, late July; maybe not lesson planning and stuff like that, but rather psyching myself up for the absolute shittiest time of the School Year. Heading back into the classroom is, by far, the most stressful, anxiety-ridden time of the year for me. I know what needs to be done, and am more than capable of doing it all, but not knowing the students yet, and having to hit the ground running on Day One with zero room for error is nerve-wracking. 

Kris scored a tub of her fav for her birthday.

Despite entering my twentieth year of teaching (seriously), it hasn't gotten any better.

But now that we're back into the swing of things, life around here is more or less back to normal. Abby is back to participating in Pom, Journalism, Model UN, and Orchestra at Midland High, on top of maintaining her hours at Bigby. The Cannonball, meanwhile, officially started at Saginaw Valley, kicking off the first steps of her epic journey through college. Yours Truly, as I said before, is now back in the trenches of middle school, and balancing that with my usual weekday gym routine and weekend social routine.

And Kris? Well, her life is more or less the same. 

Kris, Alayna and I all voted in the Primaries this month.

Our August didn't have much on the calendar as far as big plans go. Both girls went on trips to Cedar Point randomly - Abby with the All-Star Pom Team, Alayna with a group of friends - on two, different days. I accompanied two of my best friends out to Chicago to rub elbows with some Hobbits. Kris attended another concert I wasn't interested in attending with a couple of the local wives. That's more or less it.

So, I'll leave you now with this month's installment of the day-to-day nonsense that went down during this final, depressing month of Summer.

Enjoy. . .

August in a nut shell.

Kris has been chipping away at another one of those paint-by-numbers things again, with her ultimate goal being to hang up a series of them somewhere in the basement (I think.)

Going on Month #2 of us not having access to our main way out of our neighborhood. They've completely blocked off our street at Waldo Road, so now in order to get out of Chestnut Hill you have to zig-zag your way through the subdivision for about five minutes just to reach one of the main thoroughfares. It wouldn't be so terrible if this was the only area of construction in town right now, but there's another huge project going on in front of the high school and a couple others within a two-mile radius of our neighborhood, so all over town there's detours that makes any commute an annoyance. And the worst part of it all? This Waldo project isn't expected to be completed until MID-NOVEMBER.

Abby and Logan, out on a double-date somewhere in Bay City towards the beginning of the month.

That girl standing beside Abby is on the pom team, too (forget her name, though.)

Hitting up Tunes By the Tridge on the first Thursday of the month for a laid back 70s/80s rock evening..

. . . but then they broke out some of this bullshit 'for the kids.' Buddy, zero kids actually like this. And haven't since, like, the early 60's.

Kris' weird-ass plant that she bought at that farmer's market in Port Austin a week or so ago, not planted in the center garden in our backyard.

The first Friday of the month we spent out at the local movie theater to check out The Odyssey, which was pretty awesome. I didn't think it was the Second Coming of Jesus that some folks out there claimed it to be, but it was definitely worth watching in the theater. 

Abby, down at a mandatory All Star Pom Team practice in Farmington Hills.

(I don't get why this is funny to these girls.)

Mirror selfie of the Midland High additions to this year's All-Star Pom Team (Abby's in the back.)

Kris out on the back patio one Saturday afternoon, plugging away at her painting stuff. She was out there for an hour or so while I mowed the lawn and worked in the yard like some kinda field hand.

(She was making fun of my totally-not-lame bronzing shirt.)

The work in progress.

That evening, Yours Truly reunited with the DnD Dewdz for another four-hour session of top-tier nerdery. Always one of my highlights of the month (we average to squeeze in a session once every three or four weeks, -ish.)

Meanwhile, the Cannonball went to the movies to check out the newest installment in the Spider-Man franchise with Cristina and Makara the next day, and of course they decided to dress up for it. . .

Hours later, us dorks still at it.

Haven't had a whole ton of rain this last week, my yard's starting to dry out. I get way too stressed out about shit like this.

Samson, at it again.

I went back in to my classroom the Monday before Pre-Planning (the 10th) in order to get everything in order before everybody and their brother started pouring into the building to do the same. 

Fortunately, having moved everything into this room the year before, it only took me a day or two to get everything up and running again (opposed to the week or so or whatever it was last year.)

So these last three pics were taken right when I first walked in, around 9:45am. . .

. . . and these next few were at 3:45pm, after a full day of setting crap up.

Most of the stuff is out and set up, now just comes all the minutiae. 

Kris had a 'bucket list' concert of hers this month (which I bought her tickets to, back on Mother's Day), so she's obviously been just spamming that artist like crazy the last few weeks in anticipation, and consequently ruining my precious algorithm. Go ahead and guess which concert she's going to. . .

I got suckered into helping out my local Masonic Lodge by volunteering at Dow Diamond during a Loons game one random Tuesday, half-way through the month. Erik, Mitch and Morgan ended up going to the game as well (to celebrate Mitch's birthday), but even though Erik is a Mason himself, he and the other two just went for beers and the game, and not, you know, serving the local community like my stupid ass.

I ended up convening with them after my two-hour shift in the North Woods Pavilion (or whatever it's called where they serve food for people who buy the dinner package) was wrapped up, and we stayed for another hour or two and had a couple beers. Weather was just about perfect for one last night out at the stadium for the summer.

Another Abby selfie in front of her cracked mirror (she breaks everything.)

Abby, Ella, and the All-Star Pom Team got to perform at Cedar Point on a Friday halfway through the month, and this required the girls rallying outside some hotel downstate at something like 7:30am in order to board charter buses for the drive down the morning of. Not wanting to have to leave Midland at, like, 5am in order to meet this rendezvous time, Kris and Courtney opted to drive down to Detroit Thursday night in order to check into a hotel room and save themselves the misery of waking up that early.

Most of the other pommers on the team had parents who felt the exact same way, so the girls met up with tons of their friends in their respective rooms the night before they all had to get up for the buses.

Walking to some neighboring restaurant for dinner (which I was told later was pretty awesome.)

The next morning, the buses rolled in to collect the All-Stars for their drive down to. . ugh. .  Ohio.

Kris and Courtney getting a quick pic with their spoiled-ass children. . .

Abby, Ella, and the other Chemics, about to board their bus.

This generation, perfectly summed up in one picture.

The team arrives at Cedar Point (I took all these pics off Abby's phone, so I don't have any context for any of these pics - my apologies.)

Abby didn't take a whole hell of a lot of pics, but took pics of the screens (showing the pics of them on the rides - you know, the ones they want you to pay out the ass for.)

. . . pretty sure you're not supposed to be taking pics of these screens, too.

Either Abby is on this or else she knows people that are. I didn't ask.

The girls and. . . some guy. This ride is probably the most intense at the entire park, honestly - it's insane Abby went on that voluntarily.

That's f***ing disgusting.

Posing in front of one of my all-time favorites (like Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disney World.)

Posing by the entrance (I assume towards the end of the day before loading back up on the buses.)

When did they change? And did they carry their poms with them all day? Were they stored somewhere else? So many questions.

This bus ride sounds like something straight out of a nightmare.

Meanwhile, Alayna and Samson hang out in her room back in Midland.

While I was away being a super nerd in Chicago with BP and Kimmel, Kris bought a new leather chair for our living room, and texted me this pic to see how I liked it. I honestly don't care about stuff like furniture, so I didn't have an opinion either way, but she ended up moving it elsewhere.

An old friend from High School saw my Instagram post showing the pic of BP, Kimmel and I with the four Hobbits, and used AI to make it more accurate to the movies. My head looks terribly misshapen here. Probably 'cause in the original image I was wearing a ball cap.

Driving back through Chicago after our weekend at ComicCon. I could never live in a city this big, it would drive me crazy.

Abby takes a selfie during a break at her work, the third Monday of the month.

Later that night, cuddling up with the dog (not the bowl of food at the right - he's not subtle at all.)

Not sure where these two are. Or why Ella is wearing a bonnet out and about in public.

At Pre-Planning with the other teachers in the 8th grade building. Our boss gifted us all houseplants during our staff meeting (mine has since died.)

Samson, drinking stagnant water while out on a walk with Kris and Alayna.

Snapchat selfies (I assume.)

Some mountains of dirt appeared on Waldo one morning. Good to know these guys are taking their sweet-ass time doing whatever the hell it is they're doing. . .

Kris went to see Brandi Carlile with Mees, Alicia, and Danielle downstate somewhere the third weekend of the month, which she'd been looking forward to for months.

Kinda looks like a smaller Pine Knob or something.

A selfie before the show starts (of course.)

Kris was blow away by this show and talked about nothing else for weeks afterwards. Kinda like I did when BP and I saw The Hives back in March.

Back in Midland, I drove over to the Bos' residence to hang out with them, the Johnsons, and the Pickvets under their gazebo for a couple hours. Not much going on, just a chill night watching the Tigers lose.

This is definitely Kris' favorite artist now. When she came back I ended up buying her this autographed vinyl record off the artist's website, on pre-order (which will get here in like November or something.)

Um. . . no.

The next night, we joined the usual couples down on Main Street for another concert in The Commons.

This time around we had the Boses, Colliers, Pickvets, Johnsons, and Griffins on hand (the assortment of families we usually roll with these days.)

Also ran into my baby brother (cut off at far left) down there, along with his wife, so they ended up hanging out with us for a bit outside Three Bridges 'til everyone called it a night. 

The next day, Kris spent some time in our garden. She was supposed to be weeding but she honestly spent more time taking pictures of bees on or Black-Eyed Susans..

That's one fat-ass bee. . .

The day before Midland's First Day of School (they started back on Monday, while Yours Truly didn't have to start on Tuesday with students), Abby and a friend of hers sat outside a gas station and ate a cake straight out of the box like a couple of crack heads. You can't make this shit up.

Abby on the First Day of her Junior year (with my sweaty weighted vest I wear at the gym drying in the background, which is super classy.)

I didn't have students yet, but I still went in to work to finish setting everything up. Here's the end results. . .

My 'work' desk, newly updated.

My secondary 'computer' desk.

My classroom mascot, Skeletor - he's been with me for like eight years now, and continues to grow flair from students throughout the years.

White board.

Set up complete, ready for students.

Kris painted my old lectern over the summer (she offered to do it because she likes that kinda thing.) I had to fix the lip of the surface and glue it together before she could sand it down, paint it a matte black, then coat it with a clear sealer. I then, of course, covered the thing in awesome band stickers.

Still need a few others to fill in the empty spaces on this side, though.

My classroom library (that nobody ever uses.)

Still gotta hang up a couple things, but that will have to wait until later I guess.

Another view (from back by the unused library.)

Need to update these pics at some point, but that will also have to wait - totally ran out of time this year.

After work I headed off to the gym, and Kris must have been feeling guilty for not joining me 'cause Alayna caught her doing a bunch of stretches in the living room after I left.

The next day (my First Day of School), Alayna and her friend, Sara, along with their boyfriends, carpooled down to Cedar Point (Alayna has been wanting to do this since going all-in on the rollercoasters at Dollywood a couple months ago.)

Alayna takes every fewer pics than Abby (unless it's of the dog), so I wasn't shocked to see that the only pics she took throughout that day were screenshots of the for-purchase ride pics from the various rides she went on.)

She went on every roller coaster there, which is an impressive feat considering how long some of those lines can get. I assume that's 'cause it was a Tuesday and not a weekend.

Seriously. No other pics but these ones. For an entire day at a theme park. Who did I even raise?

Sara appears to be having fun.

They hit this newest one up twice, apparently.

This year's Fall Pom studio pics, courtesy of the school.

I wonder if AI cold remove those watermarks?

Riding with Ella to school, later on in the first week back to The Grind.

That following weekend, the usual couples returned downtown for another night on The Commons.

This band was 'meh.' Three Bridges doesn't get acts of the same caliber as Main Street or Tunes By the Tridge.

Meanwhile, back at home, Alayna hung out with dog (on the couch, as always.)

Us and the Johnsons hit up Brinstar after most of the other folks had left for a late night snack and a couple more drinks.

The creepy-ass hallway you have to walk down just to get to the bathrooms. So frickin' weird.

Saturday morning and afternoon, Samson spent most the time guarding his treat. And NOT eating it. He does this sometimes, it's super weird.

That evening, we had another DnD session, but had to do it somewhat earlier in the evening as BP had to get up early the next morning to run his kid to a soccer game up north somewhere. So we did a 5-9pm thing instead of a 7-11pm thing.

After we wrapped up, I drove over to the Colliers' house, where some of the couples had gathered to hang out and watch a game (which had concluded by the time I got there.)

Abby, meanwhile, was over at her boyfriend Logan's house, watching a movie (and taking weird selfies like this one.)

Played two phenomenal games of Euchre this evening, too. 'Phenomenal' because I won both of them, by a LOT. Mitch was dead weight as a teammate, too.

Standing around and eating. That's what this tribe of ours does best.

Mees and Courtney break into some karaoke just as I pack up and head home.

Sisters on the coach the next afternoon, just burning through their Sunday afternoon.

Around 4pm, the guys had their annual Fantasy Football Draft, which, while no longer being a player  myself (because I hate sports), I take part in the draft to help them out.

See, they've worked it into their league by-laws that whomever comes in last place in the season, instead of having to place players' draft pick stickers on the league board during a draft (the traditional punishment for those who come in last place), I serve as the person who places the stickers on the board. And the loser? They have to pay for my beers all night. That way I get to hang out with folks and drink for free, and don't have to do any of the lame sports stuff, and none of the league members have to stress out over researching players while simultaneously putting other folks' pick stickers on the league board. Win-win for all parties involved.

They held this year's draft at D'Allesandro's, a fancy Italian restaurant in town. Mitch knows the owner, and he got us use of his adjoining Hall, and served us pizza and beer all night (that I didn't pay a dime for, it was rad.)

The pizza was incredible, would highly recommend to anyone eating in town.

Mitch, co-commissioner of the league (along with Erik), goes over the rules with the league members prior to beginning the draft. 

While that was going on, Abby ran to David's Bridal in Saginaw to go dress-shopping for Homecoming. Oddly enough, considering how indecisive she can be, she landed on 'the' dress right out of the gate, and pounced on it.

So there you have it, folks - the Houghs' August. Was jam-packed with craziness, but now that we're back into the trenches of work/school/college, I'm sure things will slow down around here considerably. We'll see all you cuties next time. . .

- Brian